Tube dispensing device



Dec. 13, R, W MEYER TUBE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1965 R O T N EV m R W MEYER United States Patent 3,291,344 TUBE DISPENSING DEVICERobert W. Meyer, 199 E. Ouuda, Elmhurst, Ill. Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser.No. 434,277 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-98) This invention relates to tubedispensing devices and particularly to a device which is most useful inapplying sealant or similar materials in production operation.

In the dispensing of sealant or similar material from flexible tubes,the flexibility of the tube is usually relied upon for permitting thefolding of the tube on itself so to speak and thereby compelling thematerial within the tube to be expelled from a spout or nozzle at theopposite end. Under most conditions the material in a tube is notcompletely dispensed and where large quantities of sealant are used asin production operations for example, a very substantial amount ofsealant is wasted where no complete dispensing operation is effected.

To the foregoing end therefore the instant invention is directed to aform of dispensing device in which all of the sealant is expelled fromthe tube with the possible exception of a microscopic layer remaining onthe interior of the tube, which in the ultimate analysis could not bedispensed under any conditions in any event and thereby a substantialimprovement in reduction of cost is effected as will be readily apparentfrom the fact that all the sealant substantially is used and may beavailed of for such purpose as will be readily understood.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple dispensing device inwhich the tube from which the sealant or like material is to bedispensed, may be emplaced and by manipulation cause the sealant to beexpelled as occasion may require or demand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing device inwhich a tube of material is wrapped around a drum and the materialcaused to be squeezed substantially completely therefrom in a uniformmanner by simple manipulative action and responsive to the hand of theoperator at all times.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dispensingdevice in which the tube from which a material is to be dispensed can beeasily applied to or emplaced in the device and subsequently removedfrom the same for discard after the material in the tube has beencompletely expelled therefrom.

Other and further objects of the invention will be unclerstood from aconsideration of the specification appended hereto and disclosed in thedrawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view showing the device of this invention with a tubeof material applied thereto for dispensing purposes.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view on somewhat enlarged scale showing thecertain operating parts of the mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is what may be termed a front view of the device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the device.

FIGURE 5 is a view of the drum showing a slot in which a tube end may beemplaced so as to compel the wrapping of the tube therearound duringoperation of the device.

Referring now to the various figures, the device shown and described asa dispensing device, includes a body 1 of U-shaped form in which theopen end of the arms 2 and 3 is adapted to receive therebetween the drumdesignated 4, the drum 4 being supported on a transversely extendingshaft 5 for rotation.

At one end of the drum 4 is a ratchet wheel 6, having the teeth 7thereon in any preferred number and spaced for most satisfactoryoperation of the device as to be subsequently explained.

3,291,344 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 Extending from one of the arms 3 of thebody 1, is the support handle 8, being fastened to the arm 3 in anypreferred manner as by welding or the like as indicated at 9, thesupport handle 8 in turn carrying on a pivot 10 an operating handle 11which is usually maintained in separated position as to the extremitythereof from the support handle 8 by means of a spring 12 which includesportions engaging the support handle, surrounding the pivot 10 andlikewise engaging the operating handle 11, and being subject to windingwhen the handles are squeezed toward one another.

At the end of the operating handle 11 as indicated in FIGURE 2, aratchet dog 13 is pivotally mounted at 14 and maintained in operatingposition by means of a spring 15 which engages the body of the dog andlikewise the body of the handle 11, to thereby tend to cause the dog 13to move in a counterclockwise direction as to the extremity thereof.

The extremity of the dog designated 13a is intended to engage with theteeth 7 as will be apparent, when the handle 11 is moved toward thehandle 8 for example.

Upon release of the handle 11 for returning to its initial position, thedog 13 in due course will move to a new position with respect to theteeth 7 and ratchet 6 so that further rotation may be imparted to thedrum 4 upon which the ratchet 6 is positioned.

It will be understood from the foregoing that squeezing and releasing ofthe handle 11 will cause a rotative movement to be imparted to the drum4.

The rotative movement of the drum 4 may be availed of to cause a tubesuch as 18 of generally conventional form and usually of material whichis flexible so that the contents of the tube may be squeezed from withinthe same, the end of the tube designated 19 being positioned in the slotdesignated 20 formed across the face of the drum 4, the slot being aradial slot for the purposes hereof, and since the end of the tube 18 isflexible, may be inserted in said slot and caused to be wrapped aroundthe drum 4.

In order to cause the material within the tube 18 to be expelled, asqueezing roll 20 is mounted on the body 1 at the extremities of thearms 2 and 3 thereof by means of swingable links 21, pivoted at 22 tothe arms 2 and 3, the roll 26 in turn being rotatably mounted on a crossshaft 23.

As viewed in FIGURE 1, the tube 18 has been positioned so as to bewrapped around the drum 4, the squeezing roll will in turn assume aposition about as indicated in the figure so that it will cause the rollto tightly roll over the material from which the tube is formed againstthe surface of the drum 4 and thereby effect the dispensing operationdesired.

It will be apparent that the squeezing roll is adapted to assumerelatively varying positions as the material from which the tube isformed may be thicker or thinner under some circumstances and therebyaccornodate any tube which is susceptible of dispensing in the mannerherein disclosed.

When the tube material has been completely dispensed, it is of coursedesirable to remove the tube from the drum and to that end the releaselever is provided, and extends outwardly from the dog 13 as indicated at25 in FIG- URE 2 and disclosed in its general relationship in FIG- URE 1as being operable in an opening 26 formed in the support handle 8, asuitable slot being provided in the operating handle 11 in which saidlever may move.

By manipulation of the lever 25 so as to move the end 13a of the dog 13out of engagement with the tooth 7, the drum 4 may be rotated bywithdrawing the tube from beneath the squeezing roll and whensufiiciently unwrapped from the drum, permit the end to be withdrawnfrom the slot 20 and a new tube substituted therefor for J manipulationin the manner hereinbefore described for dispensing purposes.

I claim:

In a dispensing device of the class described, in combination, aU-shaped body, a hand Width support handle extending therefrom, a drumrotatably mounted between the outer walls of said body, said drum havingmeans to engage a tube to be dispensed, squeezing means comprising aroll member swingably mounted on the body for movement toward and fromthe surface of the drum, means for rotating the drum including a ratcheton the drum, an operating handle pivoted to the support handle, aratchet dog operable by the operating handle, the support handle beingconnected to the body at one end of the latter, the ratchet on the drumbeing adjacent said support handle, the operating handle issubstantially the same size as and is pivoted on the support handle,said device being thereby arranged for one handed manipulation, springmeans to separate the extremities of the handles References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,357.351 9/1944 Oliver 222102 FOREIGNPATENTS 137,908 11/1952 Sweden.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner.

